1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the management of information handling systems. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide a system, method, and computer-readable medium for performing automated, peer-to-peer migrations of entitled digital assets.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
In recent years, it has become common for manufacturers to offer purchasers the ability to order a system custom-configured to their specification. These custom-configured systems, which are often ordered on-line, allow the purchaser to select the OS of their choice along with a selection of software and other digital assets to meet their individual needs. In some cases, the manufacturer may preinstall the OS and the selected digital assets on the system prior to delivery. In addition, the system may be further personalized (e.g., desktop themes and colors, etc.) as a service to the customer. Such customizations and personalizations may be limited only by the customer's patience and willingness to define or describe their ideal system.
However, the process of migrating digital assets from one system to another is a fairly complex process that poses challenges to many users and can add hesitation when purchasing a new system. Furthermore, users have limited choices for migrating software and digital assets from an existing system to a newly purchased system. For example, a user can purchase additional software for migration, leverage limited utilities within the operating system, manually transfer files, or simply leave behind existing data.
As a result, the customer has to locate the original distribution media and license keys that came with the existing system or were purchased later. In the event of downloaded digital assets, the purchaser typically has to find back-up copies of the original downloaded files and emails that contain the associated license keys. If they are not located, or if they were lost due to a system failure such as a crashed hard drive, the purchaser has to log-on to the digital assets provider site, download the files again, and then perform an authentication routine to receive the license keys via email. Moreover, it is not uncommon fir users to misplace or forget their User IDs and passwords. In view of the foregoing, there is a need for more easily migrating digital assets from an existing system to a new system without requiring the user to provide installation files and associated license keys.